Conventional mowing machines have an attached cutting reel unit or multiple units. Such machines typically move the cutting reel unit across the ground adjacent to the machine. Grass beneath the cutting reel unit is mowed as the machine travels forward. Conventional reel mower vehicles can include a plurality of arm members that extend from the vehicle, each arm having a cutting reel unit attached to its outer end portion.
The cutting reel units typically include front and rear skids or rollers that support or carry the cutting unit across the surface of the ground during mowing operation. Such vehicles and cutting reel units are disclosed for example in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,343,680; 5,412,931 and 5,459,984.
Conventional cutting reel units provide a plurality of blades coupled together to form a generally cylindrical reel that rotates about a transverse axis. The blades pass in close proximity to a bedknife to create a scissoring action for cutting vegetation such as grass. A frame typically houses the reel and bedknife. Wheels, rollers or skids are coupled to the frame for engaging or rolling across the ground to operatively support the reel and bedknife at a predetermined height above the ground. The height at which grass is cut is therefore determined by the height at which the wheels, rollers or skids carry a frame, reel and bedknife above the ground. Cutting reel units are typically used for mowing golf courses or other areas were a relatively low and accurate cut is desirable.
To produce a high quality cut, and a cut that is even for multiple cutting reel units and across mowing passes by a machine with multiple cutting reel units, it is necessary that the height-of-cut on each cutting reel unit be properly adjusted. It is known that reel mowers have an adjustment mechanism for adjusting the reel mowing height. One type of height adjustment mechanism utilizes a plurality of vertically aligned holes for a cutting unit frame. The rollers are coupled to a mounting member or plate that includes an opening. The mounting plate is coupled to the frame by insertion of a pin through both the mounting plate opening and one of the holes defined by the cutting unit frame. The cutting height can be varied by inserting the pin through a different hole in the frame. Other types of height adjustment mechanisms utilize threaded bolts which set the adjustment height using nuts engaged on the bolts and positionable to support a portion of the frame such that the cutting reel unit is held securely in the desired vertical position with respect to the rollers. A wrench is used to adjust the nuts to positions on the bolts to thereby adjust the cutting height.
Another type of cutting reel unit utilizes a slotted mounting arm that is coupled with the rollers. A bolt received by the slot is used to adjust the height by loosening the bolt and shifting the slide-mounting arm to a new position.
For all height-of-cut adjustments, there is a generally accepted and common method for determining a cutting reel unit's existing height-of-cut and how far it needs to be adjusted towards a targeted adjustment. The procedure for setting the cutting height typically involves fastening a gauge bar to the bedknife such that the upper surface of the bar is parallel to a forward, horizontal position of the bedknife and at the desired distance below the cutting edge of the bedknife. The front and rear rollers are then adjusted to come into contact with the upper surface of the gauge bar.
The adjustment relationship between the front and rear rollers—relative to the cutting reel itself—is often termed the ‘angle of attack’ for the bedknife. This relationship refers to the relative pitch (front to back) or angle of the bedknife in relation to the ground surface. The angle of bedknife attack is an important parameter which affects the cut quality and effectiveness. Varying the height-of-cut must take the angle of attack into consideration.
Reel adjustments are checked regularly and adjustments are conducted as a preventative measure to ensure optimum cut quality, as a reactive measure when poor cut quality is detected, and when reel damage occurs. Reel adjustments are also necessary when a cutting reel unit is “re-tasked,” in effect, adjusted for cutting another type of grass or grass to be cut to a different height. For example, a cutting reel unit could be re-tasked from an adjustment appropriate for a golf course fairway to adjustment appropriate for a golf course green, the two areas having different grass height requirements. However, re-tasking a cutting reel unit is time-consuming. To avoid re-tasking cutting reel unit, many golf courses have cutting reel units or cutting machines which remain designated or set for a particular grass or area requirement, in effect, a designated group of cutting units for different areas of the golf course. This technique necessitates multiple cutting units or cutting machines. Multiple cutting units or machines can result in higher capital costs and maintenance costs.
The present inventors have recognized that proper mower adjustments are often hard to achieve through manual adjustment methods.
The present inventors have recognized that the reel height-of-cut adjustment is an adjustment that needs to be adjusted accurately and precisely, but is also difficult to adjust on individual mowing reels.
The present inventors have recognized that the accuracy and precision of these adjustments can be improved through automated adjustments. The present inventors have recognized that a need exists for dynamic adjustment and capability for multi-area mowers or mowers that are capable of mowing multiple areas.
The present inventors recognize the need exists to be able to re-task a cutting reel unit or units dynamically to allow a single machine to mow multiple area types with different cutting reel unit setup requirements.
The present inventors have recognized the need to improve the adjustment process to ensure a shorter required time, ease of adjustment, and improved reel operation quality.
The present inventors have recognized that the ease, speed, accuracy and precision of adjusting the height-of-cut of a reel cutting unit can be improved through automated adjustment.